PORT ANGELES — Cole B. Locut of Port Angeles was acquitted of rape charges after a one-week trial in Clallam County Superior Court.
Locut, 22, on Tuesday was found not guilty of two counts of second-degree rape or an alternative of third-degree rape and three counts of indecent liberties.
“There was no evidence,” said Port Angeles Defense Attorney Karen Unger, when asked what swayed the jury.
“The state didn’t prove its case.”
Three counts of contempt of court for disobeying court orders were severed from the rape case, Unger said.
Three women, all of whom knew Locut, told police that he forced himself on them.
The women’s names were redacted in court papers because of the nature of the alleged crimes.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ann Lundwall said the women did not know each other.
“Part of my job is to accept the jury’s findings,” Lundwall said.
“We’re all very disappointed.
“We did have three young women who didn’t know each other with similar stories.”
Locut was charged last December with one count of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree attempted rape after a 21-year-old woman told Port Angeles police that he forced her to have intercourse with him while she was doing laundry at his residence.
Another second-degree rape charge was added April 1 after a 19-year-old woman told police that she tried to fight Locut off her but gave up and had intercourse with him.
Two counts of indecent liberties were added to the case April 29 after a 20-year-old woman reported that she was assaulted by Locut at his residence in February.
The woman told investigators that she had bruises on her body from Locut wrestling with her Feb. 14 and again Feb. 24.
Closing arguments were made Monday. The verdict was read at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Unger said the jury listened to the evidence and ultimately made the right decision.
“It was a very long and stressful case, for sure,” Unger said.
“This man was looking at serious consequences.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
